Re: PFC Hoskins (was RE: Berets and other head varients.)

In a message dated 97-08-19 13:40:10 EDT, you write:

<< The reason he was using his helmet as a seat was a logistical one.
 Logistics is hellish on any Terrestrial Campaign, much less on an
 interstellar scale. If the Hapless PFC had been properly supplied, yes,
 he would not have taken it in the shorts. That, and the fact that field
 discipline was lacking, maybe. My point was if you rely on information
 from high tech sources you may be let down, especially in the 'gritty'
 future as I see it. My vision owes more to Jerry Pournelle's CO-DO
 stuff, Forlorn Hope, or other 'back to basics' military SF, than
 unlimited ammo fests of ridiculous 'pseudohigh-tech' P.S.B.-tron guns
 guided by the Omniscient 2000 super spy-o-comp. But hey, that's my
 opinion. >>

Sgt. Heinz walked up to Cpl. Schneider and said " On your feet soldier,
Capt.
Schroeder called and said to send a troopper to the CP and pick up two
replacements. And while you're there, pick up Yohan's new helmet. I want
to
get the new guy worked into the squad before we move up, the NAC is
sending
in a new battalion!"

Cpl Schneider looked up and said, "Green troops? Why don't they just
bring up
to strength the units they sent here in the first place? It takes a
third the
shipping to keep us supplied and up to strength than it does for them to
introduce a new battalion to replace the one we beat up this last month!
"

"The Capt. said it's because they let their politicians determine
military
policy. If the politicians talked about replacements they would have to
discuss casualties, if they bring in a new unit they can ignore them.
Besides
would you rather go up against experienced troops who knew how to use
their
equiptment or these parade ground soldiers who don't do field repairs?"

"You're right as usual Sarge,  I'm glad they ship us out with 5 kilo's
of
replacement parts in our field kits!"

I agree to a limited degree, but logistically its cheaper to maintain
your
equiptment and units than to replace them by a major factor.  Properly
trained troops use technology as an aid to their basic senses, not as a
replacement. 

I expect the high tech helmet of the future will not be this bulbus, all
enclosing, gadget laden piece of plastic that cuts off all other sight
and
sound. I expect it will look a lot like a present day helmet with a
minor
1/2" bulge on one side and no visible antenae. The vid screen will be a
transparent fold down visor like baseball players have, the vid will
show (on
overlay) the magna view, thermal imagining, text and graphics. The
throat
mike will be a permanent implant (powered by induction from the helmet)
and
the controls will be VR'd through a glove or hand motions.

As for reliability, by the time we reach the stars I expect electonics
to
have progressed as much as aircraft did from the First World War  to
now. The
real question is will the soldiers be trained well enough to understand
this
information and  then act on it? Not, will it work? 

Tom Hughes
What you don't know can kill you!

PS I'm glad to hear PFC Hoskins will live, maybe when he gets out of the
hospital he will learn to take care of his equiptment and become a good
soldier. (snigger, snigger!)